Money Can Buy Happiness

It’s said that money can’t buy happiness. Or can it?

A new study published in Science found that money can buy happiness — but only if you spend it on other people. Their study involved three key examples. Read on…

1. When they surveyed 600 Americans, they found spending more on gifts and charity led to increased happiness, but
spending it on oneself did not.

2. Workers who spent more of their profit-sharing bonuses on others were happier than those who spent more on themselves.

3. When 46 students were given $5 or $20 to spend in a day, those who were told to spend it on others were happier at the end of the day than those who spent it on themselves.

While it may come as a surprise to you that spending your money on other people may hold the key to your happiness, it makes perfect sense!

Giving unconditionally, with no strings attached, opens the heart exponentially and is not bound by time.

When we receive a new car, clothing, home or whatever it may be, we may become extremely happy for a period of time. But this joy is temporary. The heart opens with delight, only to close later and to desire more “stuff” in an attempt to regain this fleeting feeling of happiness.

But this is not so when it comes to giving to others. It could be your time, or it could be your money. Either way, this practice of giving allows energy to flow into, and out of, your experience. This is the natural ebb and flow of life. This is what I mean when I say, “Money can buy happiness!”

But if you only think about yourself, or only give with the expectation of getting something in return, the flow of energy becomes blocked.

The reason we feel better from giving is because we are letting go, even a little, of always putting ourselves first. This allows us to let go of our sense of separation, which causes the suffering that we call unhappiness.

Many of us, however, because of our habitual thinking, feeling and behaving, may still give with strings attached, even without realizing it. While this is still better than not giving at all, there is a higher level — and this comes by letting go using The Sedona Method.

The Sedona Method is all about letting go. In order to give we must let go, otherwise there will be no happiness from the giving.

So practice giving whatever you can: a smile to a stranger, some money to a person in need, a shoulder to cry on — but make sure you do it without expecting anything in return. If you find that you do have these expectations, simply use The Sedona Method to let them go.

The more you give without wanting anything back in return, the more you let go and the better you feel!

-Hale

Hale Dwoskin

is the founder of Sedona Training Associates and New York Times best-selling author. Hale is an international speaker and featured teacher in “The Secret."